Must Knowledges Have Use as Their End and Purpose?
Key Concept: Every memory-knowledge must be learned for the sake of a use so that it may be of service (Arcana Coelestia 1486).
All things whatever that are in the external man, are nothing but things of service, that is, they are for the service of the internal man. So it is with all memory-knowledges, which belong solely to the external man; for they are procured from earthly and worldly things by means of sensuous impressions, in order that they may serve the interior or rational man, and this the spiritual man, this the celestial, and this the Lord. Thus are they subordinated one to another, as are the more external things to the more internal, in their order; and thus all things whatever, both in general and in particular, are, in their order, subordinated to the Lord. Memory-knowledges are therefore the lowest and outermost things, in which are terminated in their order the things that are more interior; and because they are the lowest and outermost things, they must be pre-eminently things of service. Every one may know for what such knowledges may be serviceable, if he reflects or inquires in himself for what use they are; and when he is thus reflecting upon their use, he can also apprehend the quality of the use. Every memory-knowledge must be for the sake of some use, and this is its service (Arcana Coelestia 1486).
The memory-knowledge of knowledges is nothing but an instrumental agency having for its end a use, namely, that the knowledges may serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things; and when they are thus serving, they are then for the first time in their use, and receive from the use their delight. Any one can see, if he pays attention, that in itself the memory-knowledge of knowledges is nothing but a means whereby a man may become rational, and thence spiritual, and at last celestial; and that by means of the knowledges his external man may be adjoined to his internal; and when this is done, he is in the use itself. The internal man regards nothing but the use. For the sake of this end also, the Lord insinuates the delight that childhood and youth perceive in memory-knowledges. But when a man begins to make his delight consist in memory-knowledge alone, it is a bodily cupidity which carries him away, and in proportion as he is thus carried away (that is, makes his delight consist in mere memory-knowledge), in the same proportion he removes himself from what is celestial, and in the same proportion do the memory-knowledges close themselves toward the Lord, and become material. But in proportion as the memory-knowledges are learned with use as the end—as for the sake of human society, for the sake of the Lord’s church on earth, for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and still more for the Lord’s own sake—the more are they opened toward Him. On this account also the angels, who are in the memory-knowledge of all knowledges, and indeed to such a degree that scarcely one part in ten thousand can be presented to the full apprehension of man, yet esteem such knowledge as nothing in comparison with use (Arcana Coelestia 1472).
Be it known that the rational cannot possibly be conceived and born, that is, formed, apart from knowledges (scientifica et cognitiones); but these knowledges must have use as their end, and when they have use, they have life as their end, for all life belongs to uses, because it belongs to ends, and therefore unless knowledges are learned for the sake of a life of uses, they are of no moment, because of no use. [2] From these knowledges alone, without a life of use, the rational becomes as here described, resembling a wild-ass, morose, pugnacious, and characterized by a parched and dry life, from a kind of love of truth that is defiled with the love of self. But when these knowledges have use as their end, they receive life from uses, yet life of such a quality as is that of the uses. They who learn knowledges in order that they may be perfected in the faith of love—for true and real faith is love to the Lord and toward the neighbor—are in the use of all uses, and receive spiritual and celestial life from the Lord; and when they are in this life, they have a capacity to perceive all things of the Lord’s kingdom. In this life are all angels; and because they are in this life they are in intelligence itself and wisdom itself (Arcana Coelestia 1964:1-2).
If anyone desires to know the ends that are within him, let him merely pay attention to the delight he perceives in himself from the praise and glory of self, and to the delight he perceives from use separate from self; if he perceives this latter delight, he is in genuine affection (Arcana Coelestia 3796:3) (See also Divine Love and Wisdom 426:2, Divine Providence 215:13).
Memory-knowledges of no use are those which have no other end than glory and pleasure. These ends are of no use, because they do not benefit the neighbor (Arcana Coelestia 5214).
The real worship of the Lord consists in performing uses; and during man's life in the world uses consist in everyone's discharging aright his duty in his own station, thus in serving his country, societies, and the neighbor, from the heart, and in acting with sincerity with his associates, and in performing kind offices with prudence in accordance with each person's character. These uses are chiefly the works of charity, and are those by means of which the Lord is chiefly worshiped. Frequenting a place of worship, hearing sermons, and saying prayers, are also necessary; but without the above uses they avail nothing, because they are not of the life, but teach what the life must be. The angels in heaven have all happiness from uses, and according to uses, so that to them uses are heaven (Arcana Coelestia 7038) (See also Divine Love and Wisdom 431)>
Such as is the love in man, such is the wisdom in him, and such is the use (Divine Love and Wisdom 241e).
All those who shun evils as sins perform uses from the Lord, while all who do not shun evils as sins perform uses from the devil...(Divine Providence 215:13).
To perform use is to will well to others for the sake of the common good, and not to perform use is to will well to others, not for the sake of the common good but for the sake of self. The latter are those who love themselves above all things while the former are those who love the Lord above all things. Thus it is that those who are in heaven act as a one. This, however, they do, not from themselves but from the Lord, for they look to Him as the one and only Source of all things, and to His kingdom as the community whose welfare is to be considered (Heaven and Hell 64:2).
Must Knowledges Have Use as Their End and Purpose?
Key Concept: Every memory-knowledge must be learned for the sake of a use so that it may be of service (Arcana Coelestia 1486).
All things whatever that are in the external man, are nothing but things of service, that is, they are for the service of the internal man. So it is with all memory-knowledges, which belong solely to the external man; for they are procured from earthly and worldly things by means of sensuous impressions, in order that they may serve the interior or rational man, and this the spiritual man, this the celestial, and this the Lord. Thus are they subordinated one to another, as are the more external things to the more internal, in their order; and thus all things whatever, both in general and in particular, are, in their order, subordinated to the Lord. Memory-knowledges are therefore the lowest and outermost things, in which are terminated in their order the things that are more interior; and because they are the lowest and outermost things, they must be pre-eminently things of service. Every one may know for what such knowledges may be serviceable, if he reflects or inquires in himself for what use they are; and when he is thus reflecting upon their use, he can also apprehend the quality of the use. Every memory-knowledge must be for the sake of some use, and this is its service (Arcana Coelestia 1486).
The memory-knowledge of knowledges is nothing but an instrumental agency having for its end a use, namely, that the knowledges may serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things; and when they are thus serving, they are then for the first time in their use, and receive from the use their delight. Any one can see, if he pays attention, that in itself the memory-knowledge of knowledges is nothing but a means whereby a man may become rational, and thence spiritual, and at last celestial; and that by means of the knowledges his external man may be adjoined to his internal; and when this is done, he is in the use itself. The internal man regards nothing but the use. For the sake of this end also, the Lord insinuates the delight that childhood and youth perceive in memory-knowledges. But when a man begins to make his delight consist in memory-knowledge alone, it is a bodily cupidity which carries him away, and in proportion as he is thus carried away (that is, makes his delight consist in mere memory-knowledge), in the same proportion he removes himself from what is celestial, and in the same proportion do the memory-knowledges close themselves toward the Lord, and become material. But in proportion as the memory-knowledges are learned with use as the end—as for the sake of human society, for the sake of the Lord’s church on earth, for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and still more for the Lord’s own sake—the more are they opened toward Him. On this account also the angels, who are in the memory-knowledge of all knowledges, and indeed to such a degree that scarcely one part in ten thousand can be presented to the full apprehension of man, yet esteem such knowledge as nothing in comparison with use (Arcana Coelestia 1472).
Be it known that the rational cannot possibly be conceived and born, that is, formed, apart from knowledges (scientifica et cognitiones); but these knowledges must have use as their end, and when they have use, they have life as their end, for all life belongs to uses, because it belongs to ends, and therefore unless knowledges are learned for the sake of a life of uses, they are of no moment, because of no use. [2] From these knowledges alone, without a life of use, the rational becomes as here described, resembling a wild-ass, morose, pugnacious, and characterized by a parched and dry life, from a kind of love of truth that is defiled with the love of self. But when these knowledges have use as their end, they receive life from uses, yet life of such a quality as is that of the uses. They who learn knowledges in order that they may be perfected in the faith of love—for true and real faith is love to the Lord and toward the neighbor—are in the use of all uses, and receive spiritual and celestial life from the Lord; and when they are in this life, they have a capacity to perceive all things of the Lord’s kingdom. In this life are all angels; and because they are in this life they are in intelligence itself and wisdom itself (Arcana Coelestia 1964:1-2).
If anyone desires to know the ends that are within him, let him merely pay attention to the delight he perceives in himself from the praise and glory of self, and to the delight he perceives from use separate from self; if he perceives this latter delight, he is in genuine affection (Arcana Coelestia 3796:3) (See also Divine Love and Wisdom 426:2, Divine Providence 215:13).
Memory-knowledges of no use are those which have no other end than glory and pleasure. These ends are of no use, because they do not benefit the neighbor (Arcana Coelestia 5214).
The real worship of the Lord consists in performing uses; and during man's life in the world uses consist in everyone's discharging aright his duty in his own station, thus in serving his country, societies, and the neighbor, from the heart, and in acting with sincerity with his associates, and in performing kind offices with prudence in accordance with each person's character. These uses are chiefly the works of charity, and are those by means of which the Lord is chiefly worshiped. Frequenting a place of worship, hearing sermons, and saying prayers, are also necessary; but without the above uses they avail nothing, because they are not of the life, but teach what the life must be. The angels in heaven have all happiness from uses, and according to uses, so that to them uses are heaven (Arcana Coelestia 7038) (See also Divine Love and Wisdom 431)>
Such as is the love in man, such is the wisdom in him, and such is the use (Divine Love and Wisdom 241e).
All those who shun evils as sins perform uses from the Lord, while all who do not shun evils as sins perform uses from the devil...(Divine Providence 215:13).
To perform use is to will well to others for the sake of the common good, and not to perform use is to will well to others, not for the sake of the common good but for the sake of self. The latter are those who love themselves above all things while the former are those who love the Lord above all things. Thus it is that those who are in heaven act as a one. This, however, they do, not from themselves but from the Lord, for they look to Him as the one and only Source of all things, and to His kingdom as the community whose welfare is to be considered (Heaven and Hell 64:2).
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